Napoleon verpletterd onder een zeshoekig blok 1812 - 1813

This etching, Napoleon Crushed Under a Hexagonal Block, was created by Hermanus Fock. The composition is dominated by a large, geometrically precise block bearing a bold ‘N’, dramatically tilted as if about to crush the figure beneath it. Notice the stark contrast between the clean, defined lines of the block and the more chaotic, organic rendering of the surrounding landscape. This juxtaposition creates a visual tension, suggesting a conflict between order and nature. The falling block, inscribed with place names, can be read as a signifier of political and military defeat. The artist destabilizes the established image of Napoleon through the use of semiotic signifiers and an inversion of power dynamics: instead of a heroic leader, we see a figure humbled by forces seemingly beyond his control. The etching operates within a cultural discourse that questions the stability of power and the consequences of ambition, reminding us that meaning in art is not static but evolves through interpretation.